A New Generation
by David Pachon
Summary: The X-Men mantle must pass, but is the New Generation ready to protect mankind? Can the new team work togethr or will it all fall apart?
1. Alex's Plight

**A New Generation:**

**Alex's Plight.**

Alexander Grey looked out over the rolling grass surrounding the Mansion. He could just hear the birds singing from his room, catch little snippets of his peers laughing as they played some game or other. He knew with a cold certainty right then; he was alone. In this world where friends meant everything, where having someone watching your back was the ultimate security blanket, Alex knew he was alone.

He left the window seat, wistfully, grudgingly. As he walked across his room he caught his reflection in the mirror.

_:Jeesh!! I look like hell…no hell might just look more attractive than me right now. What happened?:_

His once copper red hair had turned a bright red, one that loomed awfully close to burgundy. His once fair skin, all cream and slight tan, had become sickly transparent. His bright green eyes that shimmered, had been replaced with dull, lifeless green. He scrutinized every aspect of himself, and in horror knew that something was wrong. He ran a hand over his taught abdominal area, flexed his biceps, they were still ok, although they had lost some of their mass.

_:I need to ask Ororo for a break, I look awful. I wonder where mom and dad are? I'll ask the professor. But first; Ororo.:_

He grabbed his jacket from the peg by the door, and floated his wallet from the dresser. He looked around for his keys, but couldn't see them anywhere. He closed his eyes and concentrated, they were inside his jacket.

_:Use your God-damned hands once in a while you twit!!:_

He walked out and closed the door behind himself. The hallway was deserted, then again, most of the guys and girls his age hadn't just come home from a three month mission in Antarctica. They hadn't chased Magneto et al through half of that forsaken ice-continent. They hadn't faced off against Avalanche in places where his power was truly and inequitably dangerous. In other words, they weren't full X-Men, they were here, in the cozy old Mansion, surrounded by rolling grass, tempered pools, tennis courts, and other pleasantries. Alex did not know how to balance both sides of his life successfully, and it cut deep to be ignored by his peers, and undermined by his elders. He was caught in between, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He made his way to the Southwest Wing, the one that all the X-Men used as their quarters and offices. Ororo would be at her desk, catching up on all the missed paperwork from her mission to Zimbabwe to rescue Nightcrawler. It seemed to Alex that lately, more and more so since January, most of the missions they were sent on were rescue missions.

He approached her door, voices from inside floated out, a little muffled, but still perfectly understandable.

"He can't know what his real powers are, he's merely a boy. We have to find and neutralize him before Eric does, and you know that Ororo." Anna Marie's voice drifted out, her lazy southern drawl making the entire sentence sound like a single word. "Y'know the professor ain't gonna let us do it, but ya also know we gots to, he's dangerous to himself, and to us…my mind is, we send Alex, they're close enough in age that he can gain the boy's trust like we can't."

Alex froze, his entire body going rigid, he could feel a strand of his power flowing out, fast and deadly, he directed it at the nearby window, and with a thought flung open Ororo's door.

"Before you even THINK about sending me on another mission, I want you to REALLY look at me, Rogue, Storm, I'm not speaking as Alex, I'm speaking as Imperium. I am not up to anything…I can barely sleep…I'm going to Hawaii. I'm going to relax, whether you like it or not." Alex's voice was sharp, controlled, and poignant. Damn their plans, he needed rest, and if he had to he'd go A-WOL.

Ororo's piercing blue eyes darted to him, Alex felt tentacles of lightning being held back by sheer willpower. He stood his ground, his jaw set, hands and arms rigid at his sides, back taut as a harp string. He wouldn't back down. He couldn't let them drive him into the ground, he was overworked, and he needed to relax, to regain a vestige of humanity. He returned her glare, knowing that if she held on long enough, she would actually see him, not just the cursory glance they always spared for him, but actually LOOK at him.

"Listen, very carefully to me now Alexander Grey, for it'll be a fool's errand if you don't. I am the leader of the Blue Team, therefore your orders come from me, not from Rogue, no offense Anna, so if I say you will do something, so you shall." Her voice bit into him, severing all his thought processes, "Right now, I want you to pack your things, and go to the cabin your parents bought near Alkali lake. You have three weeks' leave, I suggest you enjoy it."

Alex turned to leave, no words were safe, not right now, not when storm could hardly keep her face in control.

"Alex…one more thing. One more outburst like that one, and you'll be back to trainee status…understood?"

"Yes, Ms. Munroe, understood." he stood at the door, his body frozen in fear and fatigue. Storm looked at him one more time.

"Dismissed" the word was bit off, an order if he'd ever heard one.

He backed out and began his walk to his room, half-way there he let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Relief spread over him in warm, comforting waves. Ororo had given him the time off, better yet she'd sent him to Alkali lake. Alex loved that place, nothing but woods and water as far as the eye could see, and that cabin, that cabin was so relaxing even Magneto would mellow out if he spent time in it. He couldn't wait to get there. Some R&R was exactly what he needed right about now.

_:Alex, before you leave, I'd like a word.:_

Prof. X, of course he would, after all it was seldom anyone went anywhere without his having the last say. Alex veered right and headed for the elevator, with any luck this'd be a short visit, then he could be on his way. As he got to the elevator his mind began to wander, all he could think of were birds, and the sound of water, and light summer breezes through the boughs of evergreens. It was in this mindset that Alex boarded the elevator and walked in the Professor's office.

"Take a seat Alex." the Professor was looking out the window, his fingers steeped before his face, an utter look of concentration on his face "I know that Ororo has given you a leave of absence, and I can sense, and see why. I am sorry that you've been deployed so many times in such a small amount of time, however I wanted to talk to you as to why" the wheelchair moved, and the Professor's eyes were on him.

Alex flopped unceremoniously into one of the overstuffed chairs that sat in front of the Professor's desk, after all Charles Xavier was like his grandfather as much as he was his teacher. "Prof, look I know I shouldn't whine and moan because I know that we're shorthanded, it's just that I feel like I'm being given these assignments, and performing fairly well in them, and yet I still feel like the new kid, even though by all accounts, Magma is younger and newer than I am." his voice came out hoarse and unsure, after all whining wasn't what a battle-seasoned X-Man was supposed to do, but apart from that Alex was still just 20, his level of maturity wasn't that of Storm, or Rogue, he could whine.

"I understand, and I am sorry that Ororo, Remy and the others take that stand with you, but you must remember that to them, you're not only a teammate; you're part of their family. Perhaps in trying to protect you, they lost track of who you are." the look that the professor fixed on Alex would have leveled a building. "However young man, I would like you to keep a better rein on your temper, not only is Ororo you team leader, she is also your elder, and your godmother. I expect that you give her the righteous respect that is due to both those stations."

Alex sank in his chair, he knew Storm hadn't yet spoken to the Professor, but any argument had within the Mansion's walls and campus was likely to be quickly picked up by Xavier, after all, he had to ensure the safety of every student on campus, he needed to be in control of every situation.

"I know, and I am sorry. I'll apologize to aunt Ororo before I leave…I'm just…I don't feel quite human right now. I'm so tired, and I barely recognize myself anymore, even my powers are outta whack." Alex felt so tired, he decided to postpone his trip until the morning.

"Alex, the reason you and every other available team member has been deployed so often, is that…Magneto is moving quicker than he ever has. That alone is cause for alarm, but now he is making strikes at very precise locations, on very precise times, and getting through our ranks very quickly. No real harm has come to any of them, but they are injured, or disabled. I am trying to keep us all together, but it has indeed become harder and harder to do that." the expression on Xavier's face grew worried and distant, his brow knitted in concentration.

Alex felt the all-too-familiar twinge of broadcast thoughts, he extended his senses toward Xavier, lending his own strength to the Professor, hoping to amplify the range of reception. He met no resistance, his mind merged with Xavier's, twin strands looking for a common target.

_:Professor…can you hear me? It's Jean, Scott and I are fine, but Psylocke isn't, I just got her message. Scott and I are heading to Barbados to help her out, Remy is headed there as well. Ill inform you when we get anything else. Hello Alex, be good. Your father says hello, and sends his love, as do I. Take care of yourself, and be mindful of Ororo and the Professor. Charles, I can't hold this anymore. I will speak with you later.:_

Alex felt the power ebb and withdrew his own power. Jean's voice had been crisp and clear, perhaps a little strained but since she'd broadcasted from Okinawa, it was to be expected. She had sensed him in the thread, that gave him hopes that maybe they would try and contact each other soon. His mind wandered to his father, and the now all-too-familiar lump swelled in his throat. He remembered every word of that faithful day, and every inch of him wanted to take it back.

3 Months Ago

Alex stood in the kitchen of the Mansion, knives, spices, pots, pans, food and many other things whizzing about him. He'd never been so angry in his life, he'd never felt so utterly betrayed.

"Lex, we have to talk. Your behavior, out there…in here, it's beyond reproachable!!! What made you think you could use full power on Iceman? Are you insane or just plain old stupid?!?" Scott's voice was like waves, hitting Alex like buckets of ice water.

_:Did any of you stop to think, that maybe there was something more behind MY outburst? Did you consider that it might have been provoked?:_

"Use your voice Lex, you don't need to use telepathy, it's unnecessary. This type of utter disregard for others, this…display of power at every chance, this smugness you have about you, this is why Bobby and the others keep you at arm's length!!! You think you're better than them just because you have an X-Men uniform?!?" his words dripped ice and ire, their edges cutting deeper and deeper into Alex's already battered self-esteem "I told Jean this was a bad idea, I even told Charles…but you've got such potential…if only you could use it in the right way, but you're too vain to even see that, too coddled to use all of it right!! I'm revoking your assignments, as your father, and as your team-leader. Turn in your gear…I never thought I'd be so disappointed in you"

"I never thought I could hate you…and I do you know? I hate you. You're so preoccupied with being a 'team-leader' with keeping the 'good of mankind' that you've never been a father, you've been a teacher and a leader, but never father…I'm glad my last name isn't Summers, 'cause quite frankly, I'm disgusted by the thought…" Alex could see his father's expression withdrawing, hiding, but he was angry, he didn't care, not now. "I've been the only one here with both my parents, most of the others were rejected by their families, but I was born to mutant parents in a mutant school…and yet my father is more absent in my life than Bobby's or Amara's are in theirs. You're disappointed in ME? Hunh!! I never even had expectations of YOU Scott after all, Charles has been more my father than you'll ever be…"

Alex lifted himself off and out of the kitchen through the window, his anger rising higher and higher. He had to get away from Scott, he had to get away from them all. He floated to the East Gardens and flopped onto a bench, feeling drained and utterly exhausted. He let the familiar sounds waft over him; the call of blue jays, the feel of the wind, the wind chimes that hung from Ororo's window.

_:Why can't he understand? He's always judging me before he even knows what happened, always ready to be judge and executioner, but never jury…he's so pig-headed…and still I love him all the same. If only he could be more my dad than Cyclops sometimes…:_

_:And do you ever let him know?: _Jean's mind-voice was clear as always, tinted with a jingling so unique it gave her a certain "signature." _:you know Alex, this has to go both ways…he's not a mind-reader and he's not a person to let people in easily. Love, you both have to try.:_

_:Mom, I try. He's so cold, even Psylocke isn't that bad, and her last name is Frost for God's sake.:_

_:Doesn't mean he's not trying in his own way. Go apologize to him. You never know if those are the last words you'll ever say to him.:_

Alex rose from the bench and began walking towards the Mansion. His thoughts were a cacophony of sound in his head, every single one being seven. He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes, he knew the grounds well enough that he could walk them blindfolded.

"Hey, Lex. Can we talk" Bobby Drake's voice drifted to him, and he was sure trouble was brewing "the hell was that in the Danger Room? It's a training exercise you moron, not an actual mission"

"Leave it be Robert. You and I both know what really happened, don't play the victim with me" Alex wheeled around, facing Bobby. "you goaded me into it, and you don't want the Professor to know that do you? You know he can delve in my head…are you willing to risk it Icecube?"

Alex dug his heels into the ground and readied his mind, if Robert wanted a fight, then Alex was happy to comply. Bobby was Alex's main problem at the Institute, ever since Storm passed Bobby over for a promotion handing it to Alex, Bobby had made Alex persona non-grata and his little circle of friends was happy to oblige.

"Just 'cause your Jean's son that don't give you the right to treat the rest of us like scum Imperium, and it's my job to make you remember it"

Iceman launched himself at Imperium, his body coating in ice as he flew the ten feet that separated them. Imperium levitated out of the way making Iceman crash against the stone planter behind Imperium.

"Back off Iceman. I'm pulling rank…back off or I'll transfer you to the Junior Squad." Alex hated pulling rank on his peers, after all he didn't feel it was any fair, but Bobby was a different thing, Bobby was his public enemy.

"You wouldn't dare!!!" Bobby's anger dripped from his words in unchecked waves, crashing against Alex's nerves.

"You're right Robert. Alexander wouldn't…I on the hand, well I WOULD. Back Off." The voice was unmistakable, Cyclops.

"You know…Mr. Summers, this whole thing ranks…he's no better than I, and yet he's the one getting all the perks."

"You think I want them? You think I asked for this? If you want it so bad, come with me to Storm's office…I'll gladly give this shit up." Alex landed next to Bobby, his body tensed with repressed emotion. "Y'all think that I somehow asked for this or something, but it was thrown at me…I don't want this shit!!! I want to be at school, I want to sit on the sideline for another year or so…I DON'T WANNA BE AN X-MEN!!!!!!!!"

The ground around them heaved, and several of the nearby planters lurched 20 ft into the air, Scott, Bobby, Kitty all floated up five feet.

_:Alex…let them down:_

Alex relaxed, lightly putting everything and everyone back on terra firma. He could feel his frustration pushing at his inner shields, straining them, lashing at them. He breathed deeply, hoping to keep his powers under control, hoping to calm the bitterness that engulfed him. He couldn't let his powers get the better of him, it was dangerous and Alex knew it with a certainty that was as undeniable as the fact that he needed air to survive.

He stood there, surrounded by people who cared little about him; his disapproving father, envious school-mate, and his bitter ex. Perfect. The people he'd least wanted to break down in front of, were the people who'd cornered him.

_:This blows ass…ugh! How could I lose my cool with these shit heads around me:_

Jean arrived then, her auburn hair flowing in the light breeze, her gaze fixed on her son. She walked with the confidence that could only be gained by having lived through what she had lived through.

"Iceman, one week suspension for the stunt you pulled in the Danger Room today. Shadowcat, 3 days suspension for failing to alert school staff of a possible fight on school grounds. Imperium, two weeks suspension for losing control under duress, and for lashing out with your powers at fellow students." There was a tone to her voice that barred all arguments, Alex knew he deserved it, but he wasn't all there about Kitty's.

"Professor Grey…I accept my punishment as is, but I don't think it's fair to punish Shadowcat for something she really had no opportunity to do. I'll take the extra time unto my own punishment, rather than let her take a fall for something that's not her fault."

"Imperium…you're right, so Kitty gets to walk, and you get three more days. Bobby, Kitty get back to class. Cyclops, Imperium, follow me."

Alex and Scott shuffled behind Jean, to Charles' office. And still the last words spoken between them were mean and curt. Upon arriving at Charles' office, Jean and Scott were deployed to Aruba.

It had been three months, and still the words sat heavy as led in Alex's stomach. He felt awful at the mention of his dad's name, he had come to his defense and Alex knew that deep inside that outer shell, Scott loved him.

"Are you still ruminating on the fight with your father?" Charles' voice shook him from his reverie, jarring Alex back into place "You should know that he's forgotten about it. Scott and Jean both know that youngsters say certain things when they're angry, just for the sake of hurting their parent and elders…Scott knows how much you love him, and he's only worried about your safety. Leave in the morning for Alkali lake. I will speak to Storm and allow you an extra week, but remember to be mindful of any activity there. That's all for now Alex."

Alex rose from the chair and walked out of Xavier's office. He knew Xavier was right, but it still bugged him, he loved his father and the way they'd left things was simply not Kosher.

As he entered his room Alex couldn't help but feel endlessly tired, he shuffled to the private bathroom and opened the faucets, setting the water at the right temperature. He undressed dazedly and stepped under the stream of warm water, letting it unknot his muscles. After 20 minutes he stepped out, toweled himself off, got his favorite pajamas on and gave himself into the blessed arms of sleep.

________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note:

Hello all, I hope that you like this story. It's not my first fan-fic, but it is the first one I have posted to this site.

Some questions that you might have (AKA Alex's last name) will be addressed in the next chapter.

I hope you enjoy it, please feel free to contact me at my e-mail adds New_.


	2. Departure

**A New Generation:**

**Departure**

Alexander Grey couldn't wait to go off to Alkali Lake, he was sure the rest and relaxation would help him get better acquainted himself and maybe find a solution to the problem he had with Scott, his dad. Something inside him told him that if he didn't he would regret it for the rest of his days. He had slept fitfully the night before and couldn't wait to get a full night's sleep.

_: Alex before you leave, please make sure to have one more training session in the Danger Room, after all you are going to Alkali Lake. We both know what may happen there, don't be angry if Storm gives you orders to keep your eyes open.:_

Alex grunted and shook the covers off of him. He slowly got out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. He took a quick shower, dressed in old sweats and headed for the Danger Room. He would run a quick exercise, maybe the one with the Sentinels.

It was early enough that he didn't see anyone in the hallways. Most of the student body wouldn't get up today. He still didn't envy them, they would still be stuck here for the rest of the week whereas he was on his way out to a nice little cabin in the woods, for more than three weeks.

As he got to the Danger Room, he headed for the showers. If he was going to have to train he would do it in his uniform after all he was going to take it with him. He took off his sweats and slipped on his black leather uniform. He walked back out into the hallway, and headed for the big double doors that lead into the control room.

As the doors slid open, Alex saw that Logan a.k.a. Wolverine was already using the Danger Room, Alex looked at the controls and noticed that the level was on eight, Wolverine was getting pounded out there but Alex was sure that he wouldn't like any help. We wanted to leave so badly though, that he used the speaker.

"Logan, this is Alex. Will you be long? I need to be out of here by 8, or Storm might change her mind about my little vacation… would you mind if I cut in?" Alex waited for Wolverine to answer.

"Listen here kid, I gots some frustration I need to get out of me. If Chuck told you to train, well it ain't my fault."

Alex couldn't believe how stubborn Wolverine was being. Just one more Logan trait. Alex was fuming, but he had learned that picking an argument with Logan was as fruitless as trying to outplay the Professor at a game of chess, still Logan wouldn't get in the way of Alex's trip, not as long as Imperium was there. Alex knew perfectly well that he couldn't take Logan head on, but if he irked him enough, Logan might just give up the Danger Room.

"Wolverine if you're going to be hardheaded, then we're just gonna have to fight it out. I'll go in as your enemy, and if you can land a single punch, no claws, I'll wait until you're finished. If I land one first though; you run the Sentinel exercise with me…under my command." Alex knew he was pushing it, but he needed to bait Logan just enough to get him to say yes, after that he would technically have trained and could be off.

"You got some nerve kid…I'll go for it." Logan's voice cut through Alex like knives. A part of him had hoped Logan would just back down, but he wasn't. Alex drew a deep breath and walked out of the control room and into the Danger Room.

"Computer, re-start current exercise. Modify as follows: new enemy, Imperium. New objective: hit enemy once. Run program vice-versa for user Imperium. Start…NOW"

The program reset. Alex was standing by a large oak, surrounded by rosebushes on all sides. He crouched down and cast out his mind. He searched for Logan's mind, and found it. Logan was directly above him, his thoughts set on making no noise. Alex stayed still, making faces that made it look as if he found it difficult to locate Logan.

_:You're toast kid: _Logan launched himself at Alex, free-falling from the branches, still Alex remained still. He could pause Wolverine's fall and immobilize him then punch him, but then he wouldn't have trained, and the Professor was probably right.

Alex side-stepped Wolverine's fall, and using his telekinetic powers vaulted over the rosebushes. He ran South by South-west hoping to reach the bridge next to the gazebo. Alex had run this exercise so many times that hiding spots were almost too easy to remember, but he knew Wolverine had probably run it just as many times (if not more) as he had. He checked Wolverine's position, apparently he had decided to run in the opposite direction.

_:Of Course!!! That's where that field is…no hiding spots, and he wants to lure me there…damn, I'll have to bite the bait.:_

Alex halted mid-step, his mind was sure this was the wrong thing, but his pride kept telling him how he would look like a wuss if all he ever did was hide from his enemies. He took a deep breath, and caught the scent of aftershave, sweat and cigars.

_:He knows I'm in his head…I must've broadcast by mistake. He's not far, not if I can catch his scent…shit!!:_

He began running again, this time casting out his mind not for Wolverine's mind, but for his heart-beat. He might not get an exact position that way, but it still gave him an idea of the distance between them. He found Wolverine a little less than eight feet to this right, and closing in fast.

"GOTCHA!!!" yelled Wolverine as he jumped out to Imperium's right, he was sure he would get the kid this time, he'd trained hard on learning to control his thought pattern so he could confuse psionics. He lurched forward, knowing he would catch him, but he didn't, he grabbed nothing but air. He looked up and saw Imperium speeding away in the air. "You're good kid…but you ain't better than me!!!"

Wolverine moved back into the trees, he knew Imperium could find him by other means, but he was gonna make himself as hard to spot as possible.

_:I can run, but not forever…if I take the offensive though…that may be my best bet.:_

Alex cast out for Wolverine's mind again, this time not to sense but to befuddle. He felt it, not caring about the distance. He began to launch bolt after bolt of kinetic energy, not at an object, but at the mind. Kinetic Spikes. He launched one after another, pounding into Wolverine's mind, though still holding back, weakening his opponent. He sensed Wolverine's heartbeat somewhere off to his left and began moving that way, never letting up on the barrage.

He found Wolverine against a Pine, his head in his hands, one knee on the ground. He moved as quietly as possible. He approached from the top, and hit Wolverine on his arm. The computer registered the cue and quit the program, Alex quit his attack.

"Well Logan. I gotta go, but remember you owe me a Sentinel session." Alex infused every bit of good-natured humbleness into his voice that he could, after all it was still Wolverine.

"You got lucky kid…enjoy it." Logan didn't sound too angry, but nonetheless Alex hurried his steps from the Danger Room.

He took a quick shower in the locker rooms and put on his sweats, picked up the uniform and made his way to the upper levels. It was time to hit the road, otherwise he would arrive too late at Alkali to see the sun set behind the mountains. He was almost to his room when he felt a spike of ice hit his thigh.

"What are you gonna do now that mommy and daddy ain't here to protect you huh?" Bobby's voice dripped with malice "bet you didn't even think to keep alert did you? NO, you're too busy gloating for that"

Alex's leg felt utterly destroyed, the pain was clouding his every thought, he couldn't put together anything except pain and anger.

"You're a fucking loser Bobby…but just wait and see…" Alex launched his entire mind at Bobby, not holding back a single edge of pain or anger, he felt his attack smash against Bobby's mind "you ambush a psionic, and don't even put up a barrier…you're pathetic." Alex felt the spike disappear and rounded on Bobby, hurling wave after wave of psionics lashes at him "I thought you could handle me, but I guess I was wrong…"

Bobby shot a spike of hardened ice right at middle of Alex's chest, the surprise of the attack made him reel back, there wasn't enough time to stop it.

SNIIICK!!! Adamantium claws cut the spike into pieces, Logan's snarling face came into focus and Alex exhaled heavily, his anger rose in him in sickening waves. He never thought himself capable of loathing another living being, his mom and dad had taught him that every life (even the ones of bigots) was priceless. But Robert Drake had achieved it, he'd achieved Alex's loath, and Alex knew that if given the chance, he'd slaughter Robert without any regard.

"From this day on, guard your mind…if ever I sense a lapse, you'll never end that day." Alex turned and walked the ten feet to his room in three strides. Everything began flying about him as he closed his door. His suitcase was being filled at record speed, Alex walked onto his balcony and looked up, he needed to get away. His body rose into the air, there was enough cloud cover that no one would notice him too easily. He rose until he was right inside a thunder-head.

_:Alex, please come in. I know I'm not the person you want to speak to, but Charles is giving Bobby a dressing down, and since I'm your team-leader…please come to your balcony:_

_:Storm…aunt Ororo, what did I ever do to him? To any of them? I feel like a stranger in my own home…this is supposed to be safe, and yet one of our own just tried to kill me.:_

_:I know Beshala*, you'll be glad to know he's not denying anything, he admits to attacking you, he even admitted to goading you in the Danger Room three months ago, come down Beshala, we need to talk…god-mother to god-son:_

Alex made his way back down to his balcony, his anger had subsided somewhat, but his feeling towards Robert hadn't changed, and that scared him. He had never felt emotions as perverted and twisted as this, he hadn't even known someone had the capacity to feel this. It went against everything he believed in to feel this, but Robert had afforded him no grounds, and Alex had reached the end of his rope, there was no going back.

He landed noiselessly behind Ororo.

"Beshala, how did this get this far? Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because Mela^ I'm an X-Man, I can't come running to my TEAMMATES whenever one of my peers picks on me…I have no one but you and mom to turn to, you know how dad gets, and Charles is fine and dandy, but he can drive me up the wall with his cryptic thing…besides I didn't think it would get to attempted homicide…if it hadn't been for Logan…Mela it shakes me to the core, to think he hates me enough to do that…to risk being thrown out of the academy" the realization hit Alex like a ton of bricks. Even if he and Robert were bitter enemies Xavier's Institute was home for them both. Robert had no one to turn to. "Mela, can you make sure he doesn't get kicked out? I couldn't even think of that…there's not many options for people like us…he'd turn to Magneto…or the Morlocks, no…he has to stay here."

Ororo had never seen Alex go through so many emotions in such a short amount of time, his ability to think a situation through so thoroughly was exactly what had led her to choose him over Bobby. This little episode was nothing more than the latest in a long string of stupidity that had Bobby's file almost as big as the Rules and Regulations Book that Charles had made up for the Institute.

"Beshala…come here" she opened her arms and swept Alex into them, she knew he hated it, but it was her responsibility "you have to know that Bobby is just being…well he's being Bobby. He doesn't mean half the…"

"It's not him Mela, it's all of them…it's like I'm in limbo…the X-Men see me as a kid, and people my age see me as some type of intruder or something…I have no one I can call a friend, only mentors and family. I just wanna fit in, and I can't."

Ororo had never been interrupted by Alex, the fact that he had done so only confirmed what she feared most; he was on the brink of explosion, bad as it was for humans, and for other mutants, psionics had an even thougher time. He had reached a point where he felt utterly alone, and nothing they could say would make it better, knowing that made her job as team-leader a bit harder, especially since she had a sort of mission for him.

"Beshala, I know you probably are going to hurl me into the Adriatic for telling you this but.."

"You want me to…do something relating to the X-Men…as long as I don't have to infiltrate, bring down, or evade anything I think I'm OK to do it. Just keep it light, please."

"I need you to help me train Jubilee…her powers are somewhat unreliable and I think she's a little afraid to use them…your powers, like hers, are mostly deffensice, but you've found ways of making them offensive and I need you to help her find that for herself…think you're up to that?"

"Am I doing this as Alex or as Imperium Mela?"

"Alex. I want you guys to be peers, equals. You're not her teacher, just a friend giving advice. Treat her as such."

Alex shrugged out of Ororo's embrace. He knew what Jubilee was going through, it was annoying training with Bobby, and Amara, and Logan, and the rest of them when your powers seemed to do nothing more than stop things, or shield people. His mom was ok with her role as a shield, as a lifter and as a communicator, but Alex wanted more. He wanted top be able to fend for himself, and now he could. He had turned defensive into offensive, and was making great strides in that department. Hopefully, he could find a way to explain to Jubilee how she could do that too.

"I'm all packed up, so I'll head off to Alkali, is she coming with or is this something I have to do once I return…I am still going off right?"

"You are. Colossus, Jubilee, and you are all headed to Alkali, Piotr is going to keep watch over the activities at the Alkali Base so you guys can practice without having to worry about it, and he can serve as a target. Better him than you right?"

Alex grabbed hold of his suitcase and his jacket, gave one last look at Ororo and decided his Mela deserved a hug, even if he was innately "allergic" to them. He closed his arms around her and gave a quick(almost imperceptible) peck to her cheek.

"I'm taking the H3, and hauling my Ducati, tell Piotr and Jubilee to meet me at the East garage. I'm leaving in 30. Im Meleth Ley."

Ororo was surprised, but knew better than to try and stretch out this seldom seen moment of tenderness. She nodded once as he left out the door, then turned her attention to the outside sky and with a thought sent the clouds scurrying away. Things would get interesting around here, especially if Charles approved of what she was going to suggest. She sent a silent prayer into the ether and turned back inside, her mind racing through a million scenarios.

Alex finished setting up the hitch to the H3 and hooking up his 2006 Ducati Supersport 800 to it, he looked it over and tested all the straps one last time. It was safe. He loved his bike more than any other thing, it was his pride and joy.

"You know, if you pull those straps any more, you might just end up loosening them. Is it yours or your dad's?" Jubilee's voice had a certain ring to it that rang deep in Alex, he found it almost hypnotizing.

"Mine, saved up for it for like five years, just got it a while ago. It's a--"

"Ducati Supersport 800 2006, I didn't know they came in stark white though, very nice"

"Wow, you know about bikes? And you're right it's actually black, but I bribed one of the older students to use their power and make it white; what can I say, black's just not my color"

"Yea I see…I sorta love bikes, keep up with what I can through the internet. Must admit I never seen a Duc up close though, they are beauts right?"

Alex was impressed, most of the girls in the Institute weren't interested in bikes, and he doubted that more than a third of them would even know what a Ducati was, and here was Jubilee, the most unassuming of the bunch talking about them like they were second-nature to her. He gained a new appreciation for his would-be teammate.

"I'm calling shotgun." Piotr's voice boomed in the space.

"Let's think about this carefully Pete, you're going to squish yourself into the front seat, where there's barely any room rather than sprawling in the back seat? I mean look at Alex and I, we're like a third your size…see what I mean?" she pointed at both their bodies, then at Piotr's.

"Hmmm…you might just be right…lemme see the back seat" Piotr made his way over to the back seat and examined the amount of space, his face wrinkled with concentration.

"The chair's not set up for my style, lemme get at it." Alex climbed in and set the chair to the right length and height, arranged his mirrors and made sure that the entire console was within arm's reach. The space in the back-seat increased. Alex may have been 6 foot 2, but he drove close to the wheel, at least in the vehicles that doubled as war machines like this specific H3 did. He never went to Alkali Lake without expecting trouble.

"Jubes is right, I'll take the back seat." and with that Piotr unceremoniously dumped his 6 foot 6 frame into the car.

Alex wondered if Jubilee had any training with these types of vehicles. He knew Piotr did, but if Jubilee hadn't then they'd have to change seats all over again. "Hey, Jubilee, did you take offensive and defensive driving with Scott yet?"

"Yes, and I had an extra lesson with Logan about two weeks ago." She gestured to the open door on the landing of the hangar to the Blackbird "and just finished my course on evasive maneuvers with Storm."

Alex nodded at Ororo. If she had taught Jubilee, then they had somewhat the same training, though he had to admit that her having taken lesson from Logan scared him a bit. If there was anything Alex knew was that no-one drove like Logan, whether that was a good or bad thing, Alex wasn't quite sure.

"Well then, let's be on our way. I wanna get to Alkali before sunset if at all possible." Alex got into the car and revved the engine. Jubilee jumped into the passenger's side and donned the earphone that would connect her, the car, and its passengers to head-quarters. Alex already had his own "network" set up.

_:Take care of each other. We hope to see all of you, unharmed, soon.:_

They were off.

Jubilee's hands flew over the dashboard, entering passwords, inputting settings, and logging the necessary data into the system. Alex did the only thing she had forgotten, turning on the radio.

The station played a worn out pop hit, Alex hit the command button and spoke at the on-board computer.

"Log on. Alexander Grey. Playlist Number 17. Input driving directions to 1795 E Phoenix Dr. Alkali Lake."

"_Command Entered. Playlist 17 will begin. Directions Corrupted. Loading satellite images. Directions Found._"

Alex felt weirded out, how could the directions be corrupted? They had been logged since forever, how could they become corrupted after all this time? It didn't make sense, and that sat wrong with him.

"Computer, disregard driving directions."

"_Command not recognized._"

"Computer, override driving directions."

"_Command not recognized_"

"Jubilee, try and bypass the computer. Put us into manual entry."

"_All systems Automatic. System Locked._"

"Computer Emergency shut DOWN"

"_Command not recognized. Intruders recognized, main cabin. Releasing Anesthetic._"

The cabin began to fill with the gas that Alex knew would paralyze them, they only had enough time to send a message to Charles or to Ororo. He tried to reach out with his mind, but he was muddled and already his limbs were like lead. He looked at Jubilee, she was slumped down in the chair, he knew Piotr would be in almost the same pose, his eyes drifted closed. Alexander Grey was knocked out.

"_Engaging Auto-pilot. New Destination._"

________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note:

Here's the meaning to the words:

*Beshala- Beloved (Valdemar Universe by Mercedes Lackey)

^Mela- Love (Elvish)

Im Meleth Ley- I Love You (Elvish)

Please R&R. Feedback is greatly appreciated.


	3. Captivity

**Chapter 3:**

**Captivity**

Jason Linas woke up to the scent of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen. He knew his fiancée Kathryn would be frying eggs and bacon soon; it was time to get up and start the day; it was time to get himself cleaned up and start with the chores.

He padded barefoot into the kitchen and snuck up behind Kate, wrapping his arms around her slender frame.

"G'morning babe…what's for breakfast?" She spun around and the sight horrified him, her face wasn't the soft Asian face that he loved so; it was the face of an old man, weird tattoos running all over it, and eyes black as coal.

Alexander Grey fought against the identity being pressed on him by his captor, fought to regain control of his mind, he wasn't Jason Linas, would never be. Jubilee wasn't his fiancée, and Piotr wasn't his neighbor. They were all X-Men, and they were under mental control.

Jason dropped to the floor, his head was pounding, and his lungs were on fire. He looked at Kathryn, her sweet face contorted in worry, and then the darkness began to encroach on him.

"Jace, please stay awake hon. Please. Ralph's on his way…please stay with me Jace, please stay with me, don't close your eyes…Jason Linas! Goddamn IT I say stay awake and you will!"

The sound of Kate's voice jarred the pain anew, intensified the pounding in this head. He screamed from the pain, writhed from it. His entire body was engulfed in the weird sensation, something that could be pleasant and yet felt so horrible that it left him no choice but to recoil from it, to seek solace in sleep.

It was a weird illness that ran in his family; it had pushed his father away and crippled his mother. Jason had been left to do the best he could for himself. He had poured every inch of him into his studies, given every breath for his mother, worked himself to exhaustion, and all for naught. At 18 the diagnosis had been handed to him, Jason would not live to see 30. He gave up his dreams of a career in Quantum Physics, and moved with his mother to a farm to enjoy the rest of his life without cares and responsibilities. His mother died shortly after Jason's 20th birthday, but what God took, he also gave. Weeks after his mother's funeral Jason had met and fallen in love with Kathryn, and a few months later they moved in together. By Jason's 21st birthday they were engaged. That's when Ralph, Jason and Kathryn's neighbor, came into the fold, as a doctor in hiatus Ralph was the perfect neighbor for them.

Ralph came crashing through the door, EpiPen in hand, stethoscope at the ready. Jason knew it would be ok…his own name felt so weird…Jason…No that wasn't his name…it was Alex…Alexander Scott Grey Summers …Jason was imaginary, it was imposed…Kate was Jubilee…Ralph was Piotr…he had to fight through the illusion, had to regain control of himself and his mind…the illness, that's what was making all these weird thoughts run through his head. Jason regained control, his head pounding ever louder, ever harder.

"Jace, c'mon, stay awake, you know you've gotta stay awake. C'mon Jace…stay with me."

Jason floated off, he couldn't fight the heaviness of eyelids, the desire to sleep, the need to rest. He gave into them and closed his eyes.

Mesmero worked hard on the X-Men. He toiled night and day to keep them from seeing through his illusions, to keep them subdued. He'd never met someone as stubborn as this brat though, always screaming his real name in his head like a mantra, always launching desperate attacks to seize back control, always whining. The others were so peaceful, so content to listen to his probes that he barely spent an iota of energy on them, on this other one though he spent his every waking second. It was frustrating; to always have him pushing at the boundaries, always launching himself against the barriers.

"How is everything?"

"Erik, if I'm not allowed to drug this one soon…things are gonna go belly up. He grows stronger and faster…how he does it I don't know, I have to spin things quicker and quicker and they're getting quite ridiculous. We need to take action and drug him, a light sedative will more than do the trick."

"I've told you time and time again that sparing any of them pain is out of the question. He will remain as is, or you'll need sedatives."

Mesmero stared into Erik's grey/blue eyes, saw the malice in them and recoiled. There was a difference between demented and being evil…Erik had crossed both lines so beyond it that it was hard to discern what he truly was. The blackness of that stare, the steel behind them was utterly petrifying. But he knew best, he had defeated Xavier and his band far more than any of the others, he had traveled the world and learned secrets others could only guess at, if Mesmero wanted to bring back Apocalypse then Erik Lehnsherr was the best person to secretly exploit. The only trick was to make sure he would never, ever find out. Subtlety had never been Mesmero's strong point, but what little he had he would use wisely.

He focused his attention back on the three figures shackled to the wall. He'd met many psionics throughout his life, but never one with so much locked potential, so many possibilities. He could recognize the force of the Phoenix inside him, lurking silently. He was Jean Grey's son; that ran clear through him. Scott Summers' blood was also in him, but it ran quietly, powerfully and alert, but quietly.

Ororo Monroe stood in the balcony where she'd last seen her Beshala, and her entire self was hurting, aching at having him so out of touch. Something was desperately wrong with Alex, she could feel it like bile in her throat, could taste it in the air she breathed. Xavier was biding his time (as always), looking for the best chance to strike at the Brotherhood. She knew it was best, knew that things would go smoother if they studied their target and planned everything as best they could, but her anxiety and her instincts all told her Alex was being damaged and she couldn't bare the thought that it had possibly been her fault.

She looked at the sky and began to play with the weather, pulling and tugging at the different strands of it; altering the path of winds and storms, coaxing hurricanes to dissipate. She always played with the weather when she was unsettled, even though she knew the ramifications could be disastrous, it was something she couldn't help but do.

_: Ororo, could you please come to my office?:_

She turned from the balcony and walked into Alex's room. The book on the night-table still had the bookmark tucked inside it, the bed was roughly made, the hamper was neatly turned, a sign that he meant o take care of it once he returned, his glasses on the dresser; it all screamed that he would be back.

Two days ago Ororo knew that something was wrong. Alex, Jubilee and Piotr had missed their check in time. She knew that even with stops, traffic and some intervention from the Brotherhood, there should've been no reason Alex et al would not check in with the Institute. She had dispatched Megan Gwynn to check on the small party and her fears had been confirmed. There was no one in the cabin, and the road had not seen a tire-track or foot-step in months.

Ororo cursed her foolishness for not following her instincts, and at that moment decided that Xavier could sit and wait as long as he wanted, she on the other hand, was off to find Alex et al, there was no stopping her, if anyone got in her way she would deal with them.

She turned and began to run; throwing herself into the air once she'd reached the balcony. She knew little enough, but that didn't matter, her wit and her many underworld contact would get her the necessary information. She was sure of it.

Charles Xavier knew there was no stopping Ororo, there were ways to stop her, but there were no reasons to. Her mind had made a choice that it considered rational and Charles could not stand in its way. Ororo was a grown woman and had proved time and time again to be extremely smart and resourceful, who was he to try and stop her from saving Alexander, after all, in the absence of his parents, it was Ororo who assumed responsibility for his well-being. He would aid her in finding Alexander, and hope that when Alexander showed up Piotr and Jubilee were there with him, after all in the absence and stead of their family Charles was responsible for their well-being, and he viewed each and every one of his students as his adoptive children, they all needed to be safeguarded, from either themselves, the evil mutants of the world, or from the hatred that being a mutant brought upon them.

_: Storm, I will try and track them with Cerebra, you try and track the truck. One of us will eventually run into something of use:_

She felt his message and knew that she had help, it made her calm but it also made her incredibly uncomfortable. Charles Xavier had an obsession with making sure each and every single one of his students was constantly safe. One could call it paternal, were it not for the extreme amount of energy and funds he so carelessly poured into his crusade. Everyone saw him as a father, but Ororo saw more. She saw the possibility that such strong emotions carried, after all a bereft parent was capable of doing horrible things to avenge their child. What would happen if ever Charles lost his cool? How many would suffer the consequences of his outcry? As noble as his intentions might be, Ororo had always made sure to remind Charles that he was just a teacher, and activist and a friend, she hoped that her voice would ring true in his ears, if ever a loss came too close to his heart.

Jason Linas woke up to the scent of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen. He knew his fiancée Kathryn would be frying eggs and bacon soon; it was time to get up and start the day; it was time to get himself cleaned up and start with the chores.

He padded barefoot into the kitchen and snuck up behind Kate, wrapping his arms around her slender frame.

"G'morning babe…what's for breakfast?" She spun around and the sight enthralled him. Her face was a carbon copy of his mother's. Jean Grey, full and total replica. The auburn hair, the hazel eyes, the set of the lips. This was his mother, the mutant so formidable that the Phoenix force had deemed her worthy of being its host.

But that meant more. It meant Jason Linas didn't exist, it meant his name wasn't Jason but Alexander. It meant some mutant asshole was fuddling his mind, it meant that this whole thing, from sight to smell, to sound and touch and taste were nothing but fabrications, nothing but the machinations and imaginings of some underling to some baddie who had nothing better to do than imprison him in his own mind.

"Jace, what are you talking about?" Kate's voice was warm as a summer evening, it made his body react to it, it lulled him, quieted him.

"Did I say all that aloud Kate?" he asked with a worried look her way "Sorry, I guess my mind is just playing tricks on me again, I keep having this dream, it's so realistic, so…I don't know how to describe it…"

"Is it the one where you're like a superhero? Last night you were screaming about some man named Scott"

His father, Scott Summers, a powerful mutant with the ability to produce optic energy beams, who had married his mother Jean Grey, a powerful mutants with multi-psionic abilities, the two had been part of the original X-Men and now were faculty at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, a facility in which mutant kids could learn to control their powers and finish their schooling without having to constantly face the threat of hatred that was so common-place to the mutant world. He was Alexander Grey, third child of the Grey-Summers pairing, and the youngest full-fledged member of the X-Men, ever.

"Jace, we should really talk to Ralph, you seem really outta it lately…it's a bit scary babe…" Kate's voice was full of love and caring, but something was off.

"Jubilee! Break through!"

Mesmero was flung away from Alex's body, his mind simply could not take much more of this, he would have to admit to Magneto that the little brat was more powerful than he was, the prospects of this revelation earning him any points with Magneto was nothing more than a very far-fetched thought.

"Erik! Erik!"

Magneto was getting sick and tired of hearing that sniveling idiot of a man whimpering and whining. He had come so highly recommended, his powers had been spoken of with awe and respect, and yet here he was, a shadow of his former self. Always struggling for control of that brat. Alexander was proving to be just like his mother, a thorn on Magneto's side, eternally stubborn and amazingly strong.

"What is it NOW Vincent?"

"He's reaching out to the others now, going through his damned family tree in his head, and reciting the accomplishments of those X-Men worms, shouting at me from the bottom of his subconscious. I cannot keep the illusion going, and keeping them inside a loop just gets him closer to breaking my control. If we don't sedate him now then he'll slip right out of it, and you don't want an angry psionic loose after mind control, believe me. How do you think I lost so much of my power Erik? By choice?"

Magneto's hand rose and Mesmero clutched desperately at his neck. "Listen Vincent, and listen well, because I am not a man who repeats himself often, if at all. You WILL find a way to restrain that brat, you WILL keep him from alerting the others, and you will make damn sure that you get the information we need from his head before long, or YOU will die." With a flick of his hand Magneto sent Mesmero flying across the cavernous room.

"You may be the 'Master of Magnetism' Magneto but don't you forget, I have powers of my own"

With a thought, Mesmero slammed himself into Magneto's unprotected mind. He had waited for this moment for a long while now, and he would not pass up an opportunity to get Magneto under his thumb, even if just for a minute.

The images began to play, like a movie that stalls. Scene by scene Erik Lehnsherr's life began to flash by. Max Eisenhardt that was his true name. His wife's name had been Magda, his first daughter's name had been Anya, she'd died in a fire and Max's self-control had snapped and he'd killed some humans, Magda had run away from him, unbeknownst to both Magda had been pregnant at the time with Pietro and Wanda.

The death of his parents was vivid in his mind, the screams, and the abuse. His time at Auschwitz, the horrid images of his brethren being slaughtered like cattle, the gas chambers, and his involuntary yet real involvement in all of it. Mesmero could barely hold onto the images, they came with such strength and such a feeling of urgency, such sorrow and pain. He could understand how the naïve boy had become the embittered man. How the loving teenager had become the strict, and impenetrable man. He could understand this being now, and through that understanding he gained a small, yet strong power. He knew the ins and outs of the thought process that ruled one of the most powerful mutants in this world and in this reality, Mesmero had gotten a key into his private world, and only death would take that key out of his hand.

The flood of images ended suddenly, like a waterfall that is suddenly dammed, the flow simply stopped. Mesmero knew that the price for the information would be high, and the iron collar around his neck gave Magneto instant access to his life. But Magneto would not kill him, not now anyway. Not while he still needed Mesmero to control the X-brats, so long as they were safely in Magneto's custody so would Mesmero, what would happen after that...well only Magneto knew that.

The pain was instantaneous, his throat and lungs burned for air, the pressure was already unbearable and it had only just begun. Perhaps he had miscalculated Magneto's need of him; perhaps his window into Magneto's mind had had some weird flaw in it. Perhaps what Mesmero had seen had only been a glimpse of what Magneto was, perhaps this time around, his powers had failed him beyond all measure.

"You made a very big mistake Vincent. When my associates make mistakes, it makes me look bad, and I HATE looking bad."

The pressure became unbearable, Erik knew that Vincent had only seconds left, his use had been a mistake, and his necessity had become obsolete. Mesmero would die, and Magneto would deal with the brats himself.

The last breath was ragged and drawn out, a horrid sound. Magneto had heard it before; it would never again unnerve him. It had stopped unnerving him years ago.

Alexander grey could sense the illusion wavering, he could sense the breaking of the barriers around his consciousness wavering. He gathered his energy about him and sent a psionic pulse throughout his mind, followed by another and another. He would break through and he would do everything he could to get himself and his team-mates free from whatever mess they were in. He knew they would be in bad shape, perhaps they been beaten and starved; perhaps his energy levels were high only because he was still cocooned inside his mind, safe from the pains and pang that his physical body maybe experiencing.

He wondered how long they'd been where they were. They had left on Tuesday the 16th of July; he would have to worm the information out of one of the dopes who would be his jailors. Who would be their enemies? What organization or individual would have done this? The agencies were many H.Y.D.R.A. had been after young mutants for a while now, and Alex still didn't quite trust the whole S.W.O.R.D. deal, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had been running some strange ops, and Alex had lost some confidence in them and in their mission with mutant-kind.

He felt the barriers snap, and the physical pain flooded in, the cramping muscles, the parched throat, the throbbing head, and the emptiness in his stomach. He felt what had been boundless amounts of energy simply dissipate into nothingness. The fight to get free would not be easy, but he knew that staying captive would not be an option, he could only hope Piotr and Jubilee had some energy to break out, at least if Piotr got loose, maybe they had some sort of chance, maybe there was a small amount of hope.

Charles Xavier was hard at work inside Cerebra, he could not find the mental signatures of the missing students, he couldn't pinpoint their location, and for the first time since Cerebra had been built and operational Charles Xavier doubted that this second version of the machine would be able to reach the grandeur that the original Cerebro had achieved.

He focused again, trying to isolate the psionic signatures of Jubilee, Piotr and Alexander. This time he got a glimpse of Jubilee, a fleeting sense of her, like the afterimage that burns in your mind once the lights come off, persistent but unclear, and in-focusable...a fleeting thing, never to actually be seen. He knew the vicinity they were in; that much Cerebra had been able to log before the short burst of contact had been broken. He had to get them free, he knew now whose hands they were in, and given the man's past, and his ever-changing politics, they might be in danger, or they may be guests, neither option served Charles well, Erik wasn't someone he trusted any longer, Erik and his mad schemes and totalitarian views, the Erik he knew now was not the Erik he had met decades and decades ago, the Erik that roamed the Earth now was a much darker, broken, man. The shell remained, but the friend Charles had so admired and enjoyed the company of was no longer there, no longer present.

_: Storm, I have found Imperium, Colossus and Jubilee. They are currently somewhere in the vicinity of Wiltshire, England, somewhere close to Stonehenge. I'm dispatching the X-Men now; you should rendezvous with them and head there. Magneto is involved in this mess:_

He could feel her frustration at not being able to simply fly off by herself and pound the man into a pulp, he could feel the agitation of her mind, the desperation that sang clearly and loudly through her at the thought that she knew where Alex and still could not go and save him. This had become her normal reaction, fear, frustration, anger and pain. These seemed to be the only emotions she understood now, the loss of Alexander had been ever-present in her mind, she had not come back to the Institute since the day she left, it had been almost two weeks ago, and since that day Charles had only seen Storm twice, and both times it had been quick, once in Antarctica when the X-Men had discovered spikes of Psionic energy pulsing from inside the walls of the Amery Ice Shelf, and once more when the Avengers had told Charles of strange Psionic signatures emanating from inside the Louvre Museum in France. Both time the incidents had lead to nothing, and both times Storm had sworn that they had simply alerted the captors, and they had fled off in search of a new hiding place.

Charles was worried about Storm, he worried that her mental health was somehow being affected by another entity, perhaps even by Alex himself. He needed her to come in and rest, needed her to take some time off and recuperate from whatever was going through her head, but before he could expect her to listen to these things, he had to have Alexander Grey in custody, safe, sound, and responsive. He alerted the X-Men and began to ready himself to accompany them. This was a mission that Charles Xavier was not willing to let them take on alone. Jean and Scott were unfocused, Storm was deranged, Logan was M.I.A. and Rogue, Gambit and Beast had been spread thin to cover the cracks that the others were creating. His X-Men were not what they had once been, they were not the careless younglings who had flung themselves into fights over and over again, they were now parents, and husbands and wives, fiancées and uncles and aunts, and lovers, and children. The belief of invincibility had fled with the years, and the strength and care-free attitude of youth were no longer ever-present.

The team needed new blood, and Charles himself needed to retire, his body was not what it had once been, and even his powers were no longer as sharp and poignant as they had been before, the difference was minute, almost undetectable to those around him, but to Charles it was evident, clear and a reminder that he was aging, and that even the Shi'ar technology that had saved his body from complete deterioration, still wasn't enough to stop the aging process.

Alex could feel the utter weakness that enveloped him like a shroud. He could feel his entire body, every cell, every muscle, every inch, every millimeter of it hurt. The pain was a dull throbbing that never seemed to dull nor lessen, simply to BE, always present.

His consciousness came and went as it pleased, but Alex had been able to deduce some things already. Most important, and worrying, was that there was a fourth person lying dead not 20 feet from where Alex, Jubilee, and Piotr were shackled to the wall. The second thing he had figured out was something of a fuzzy assumption, glimpses caught here and there, but above all it had been the lack of a mental presence which had given their captor away.

At first Alex thought he was simply too weak, his body too malnourished and his mind too battered from the intrusion he had so blatantly suffered at the hand of his captor, after all he could see shoes right in front of his half-closed eyes, but there was no psionic activity, no mental voice, no thought process, no brain-waves. Then the trickle of cold fear that touched him was much too much; there was only one mutant Alex knew of that had been able to completely shelter himself from even the most powerful psionic mutant ever born. Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, or as he was commonly known to mutants and humans; Magneto. The confirmation had not come yet, Magneto had been careful to neither speak, nor use his powers around his prisoners, and whenever the few bites of food and drops of water that were afforded them were doled out, Alex et al were blindfolded and given grunts for instructions.

"Ironic isn't it Magneto? That you set yourself up as this 'Freedom Fighter' and you have mutants shackled onto your wall, and another mutant dead on the floor. And I would be willing to bet a whole lot that he was the one who weaved the illusion. So not only do you hang your opponents as decoration, but you kill the few that aid you. Very well done mon Fuhrer, very well done."

Magneto's hand was fast, Alex never truly saw it, but he felt it. He felt the metal lined gloves impact his cheek, felt the vibration of it shake his cheekbone, and he tasted the blood as his capillaries broke and the metallic liquid flowed into his mouth, and he felt as it trickled from his nose. Alex knew he'd hit a nerve, and as much as it hurt to be hit, and as much as it would hurt being hit again, he had to keep striking at that sensibility, a spike in electromagnetic activity would tip off the X-Men, they were always looking for it, always watching out for Magneto.

"You're nothing but a spoiled brat, even in your powers and training you have been coddled, and guided every step of the way. What do you know of suffering Alexander? What do YOU know of being told no?"

"More than you would know, and more than even I can believe sometimes."

"Silence! You are an impetuous child Alexander! How dare you even begin to compare your small losses to the loss of thousand of people? Have Charles and his X-Men made you this self-important? This self-absorbed?"

"I never compared myself and what little I have lost to the Holocaust and the thousands upon thousands of lives that were lost there! I am neither arrogant nor self-absorbed Erick, or should I say Max? If anyone in this room is self-important, or has delusions of grandeur, it's you Magneto not ME! I know my place in the world, I know where I fit into the scheme of things, you on the other hand think you have this great destiny of you, but all that's there is smoke and mirrors, haven't you noticed that? Haven't you noticed that every time you've done something worthwhile, something that really affects the outcome of things something happens and the world forgets that it ever happened? Get it through your thick ass skull Magneto; you're nothing but a wannabe! Even Rachel says you never have and will matter, not even in a universe where the movement you back wins are you important!"

Magneto's face fell, his determination faltered for a second, just a second. That's when Alex knew that in a battle of wit and word, he may have the one-up on Magneto. He knew how to push him, how to hit below the belt and still be called a gentleman. There was doubt behind the steel-blue eyes, and that was Alex's chance, to make the doubt bigger and bigger, to make it eat at Magneto, to weaken him mentally.

"It's stupid isn't it Erik? To fight everyday, to get up and go to sleep only with this idea in your head, and never have true allies. I mean, even Lorna left the Brotherhood, and Wanda's support is as ephemeral as M Day was. What's the point of it all Max? What would Magda think of the man you've become? Would Anya be happy to call you daddy?"

Alex felt the trickle of psionic energy, felt that small flowing river of images and knowledge that flowed from one psionic to another. The only question he could ask then was: WHERE was the information coming from? Neither Jubilee or Piotr or Magneto had any psionic abilities, and the only psionic close enough to send out the images was the one lying face-down on the floor, and not breathing.

_: And are you quite sure I died Alex?:_

_: Mesmero...you snake! You better not be walking around this hell-hole, 'cause I can assure you that if you are, I will make damn sure that I make you crippled beyond a shadow of a doubt before I break outta here:_

_: All these threats Lex, and for what? You can't even pinpoint where I am. How can you hurt something you are not sure if you see? Should you start to wonder whether or not you are really out of hypnosis? I mean after all, I'm dead right before your very eyes, can you now trust that this isn't all just another illusion?:_

The thought sickened him; it hit the very core of his mind, the very pillars that his universe was set up on. It was possible though; after all he had been very close to buying Mesmero's last trick, the smells, sounds, tastes, all felt so real, so utterly right. He'd even felt refreshed after sleep, full after eating. Whatever Mesmero was, and however badly he behaved and what-not Alex had to at least admit that the man had an uncanny way of weaving a complete world within the person's mind. The fact that he had been able to link the same world to three people and fabricate entire new identities, back-stories, and a panoramic surrounding that had been utterly complete was astounding. Alex knew that Mesmero's powers had once been feared, and that many a person had gone utterly crazy thinking their life was nothing but an illusion that Mesmero had created.

_: Relax Lex, its real life. I am in fact on the floor, however I am breathing. Magneto almost choked me to death, I've been using a projection that shows me still, but it's taking all my energy to get Magneto to see it, you and the others are easy because I can use psionic energy, but with Magneto I have make sure that I don't move, and project stillness to him as well, it's very draining:_

_: Will you help us? I can help you with the energy thing, if you help us escape.:_

_: I may not be the brightest star in the sky Lex, but I'm not stupid enough to confront Magneto again, I'll just lay here while he either kills or releases you...sorry Lex, but it's just how I am:_

The response had been obvious to Alex once he'd asked the question. If there was one thing people wouldn't ever say about Mesmero it would be just how brave he was. Bravery wasn't his strong-suit and Alex was pretty sure it wasn't forefront in his dictionary either. Mesmero was something of an oddity, always a player in power games, but never the one moving the pieces. He always allied himself with the faction that had the most probability of winning, but always managed to get out before things began tumbling down on top of him. Even with his powers at full peak he had always managed to be sensible in his choices, never betting too much on an affair that didn't have 100% chance of succeeding.

Jubilee could almost just see something was outta whack with Alex, his face followed Magneto's movements but his eyes were still on a single point; the dead mutant. Jubilee had a sense that perhaps the mutant wasn't dead, perhaps he/she was only pretending to be dead. But then again, no one can pretend to not breathe for as long as this mutant had been pretending to not breathe, it simply ran against most of what she knew, both as a human and as a mutant.

She saw that Alex was playing some type of game with Magneto, pushing buttons to gain response, although after the punch Magneto had given Alex, Jubilee thought perhaps it wasn't quite a good idea to continue whatever plan Alex had in his head.

Her hands were hurting; being hung up by her wrists wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. She feared her hands would be useless before long if blood wasn't soon allowed to reach the muscles there. Magneto knew her powers weren't too strong, and as of yet lights weren't exactly harmful.

_: Alex! Alex, can you hear me?:_

_:Yea Jubs, I read you loud and clear, give me a second, k?:_

_: K:_

She knew he was "talking" to someone else, and she would have to wait her turn, meanwhile she worked on the seed of a plan that she currently had, she needed to refine the finer points, beginning with exactly HOW they were gonna convince Magneto to let her loose, followed by how exactly she could incapacitate him long enough to free Alex and Piotr. The plan had potential, but it balanced on a whole lotta "ifs" and that wasn't exactly Kosher.

Alex maintained his conversation with Mesmero, hoping to convince the hypnotist to help him and his team-mates escape. Alex bribed, threatened and cajoled, but Mesmero simply would not give in. Always he made an excuse of his weakened state, or his diminished powers, even blaming Alex for how weak he currently was. Alex apologized to Mesmero (though he still didn't fully understand why he was apologizing) and tried time and time to get him to co-operate with an escape, but Mesmero would not budge.

_: Fine! You stay on the floor like the roach you are, and I will get my friends out of here, even if it kills me:_

_: Oh it will Imperium, just you wait. It will:_

Alex cut off his communication to Mesmero and turned his mind instead to Jubilee. Her tone had given him the sense that she had something important to say, he slapped his mind with frustration at having been taking in by Mesmero for as long as he had.

_: Jubes, you ok?:_

_: Yea, I'm as well as can be given the current circumstances. I have a bit of a plan.:_

_: Hatching an escape plan? Why? Aren't you comfy?:_

_Alex sent as much humor and lightness as he could into the message, and he could see that Jubilee understood why he'd done it, which made him glad, because he didn't want to come across as an asshole for no reason._

_: As pleasant as the view and the smell are here at Chez Magneto's I'd much rather be in the danger room at level 20 with a blindfold on. Listen, if we can somehow convince Magneto to let ME loose, maybe I could somehow help you guys get loose, and at least escape, or call for help:_

_: I don't know how we can convince him to let you down though...he's always been such a hard-head, even the Professor has a hard time getting anywhere with this psycho.:_

_: I'm not a threat though. My powers are nothing more than light-shows. How much harm can I do? What I'm gonna entertain him to death? Let's try and work that angle, maybe you can pull off some trick with your powers to somehow amplify mine when the time comes...or something!:_

_: Let's give it a shot, I'll fill Piotr in.:_

Alex left the connection with Jubilee and searched for Piotr's mind. A chill of horror touched the entirety of him when he realized, the body that hung on the last rung, was a lifeless corpse. Colossus was dead. There were no mind-waves, no nothing coming from him. Piotr Rasputin had died at the hands of Magneto. Rage, cold, calculating, empowering rage began to fill Alex, the pains and weakness suddenly washed away by the cold touch of hatred and unchecked anger that ran so freely through him now.

_: Jubes...Piotr is dead. We're on our own. If I manage to get loose, or get you loose, you run, and get help, and don't look back. Agreed?:_

_: No way Alex. Leave no X-Man behind, either WE leave or WE die, no self-aggrandizing sacrifices need to be made, we're in this together.:_

The mental touch she sent through the connection was reassuring, a flame in the darkness that enveloped Alex's every thought and action. He may not be powerful enough to get loose, he may not be able to do anything to Magneto, but he had something Magneto didn't at the time. He had a sister that like him, and his mother and his brother had unlimited potential, and a bond that had proven to be very strong. Alex may not be able to do anything, but Magneto was about to get the Phoenix Force rammed down his throat, the Grey-Summers family had a special bond with the Phoenix Force and right about now, Alex was gonna show him just what a pissed off psionic was capable of doing.

Alex gathered his every drop of strength; he mustered all his anger into one single thought, into a single cry of agony, despair, anger and revenge. Rachel would hear and she would come, and with her, the X-Men, and freedom.

Author's Notes: Please R&R. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

I know it took a long time to put up this chptr, but I have a new wind, and hopefully it'll carry me onto chptr 4 in no time =)


	4. Freedom

**Chapter 4:**

**Freedom, at a Price**

Rachel Summers lay basking in the sun by the pool at the Xavier Institute. It was a nice, breezy day, and she was worry-free. She knew in the back of her mind that something was missing, but she couldn't put a finger on it. She opened her eyes slightly and realized that the sun was no longer out, the moon shone brightly over the grounds, but these weren't the grounds to the Xavier mansion. There wasn't a pool here, or a lounge chair. It was bitterly cold, and the wind tore at Rachel's scantily clad skin.

She knew that this was wrong, something deep within her called her to her senses, yearned for her to come back. But Rachel knew she was here for a reason. Someone had pulled her away from her dream to this place, someone had pulled her, and her mom, and her brother Nathan and Charles Xavier. Someone had thrown them all here for a reason, now she just had to find out what the reason was.

"Professor! Nathan! Mom! Does anyone know what's going on here?"

"Stay where you are Rachel! I think this may have something to do with Alex, he's the common thread here"

Charles's voice grated against Rachel nerves, it always did, but for some reason in the echo of this dream-state it was amplified and replayed.

"Charles is right Ray, don't move. I think he's using us as anchors."

"_I am actually_"

Alex formed in front of her eyes, a perfect Alex, without the blemishes, the sick skin tone, and the dull hair. This was the Alex that Alex knew himself to be; the mental equivalent to Alex's Ego. Wherever Alex was, this was bad. Rachel hadn't seen this Alex-construct in years; Alex was badly hurt and didn't want to worry them.

"Lex, where are you?"

"_I'm not sure. But if you can find Magneto, you will find us. Colossus is dead, Jubilee and I are badly hurt, and I think Magneto is going crazy...literally...find Mesmero and you can find us, I will do my best to keep my mind alert, please come for us_"

Jean's face contorted into something that Rachel had never seen before, a mix of anger and determination that simply said she would.

"Alex, keep sending out bursts of telepathic energy, Storm is already roaming around trying to find you, I will dispatch more X-Men. I'm sure Rachel will be there, and I have an idea as to whom else I can send out. Be sure, we will do our very best to find you."

Alex's form dissipated, but Rachel could still hear him, perhaps she wasn't the only one, but she felt that this was a secretive moment, and trained her expression to be blank and inscrutable.

_: Ray, I don't know that I'll be able to send many psionic spikes, I'm very weak, and food and water have been beyond sparse, hurry up Ray, try and focus on Jubilee, and Mesmero, he's putting out a whole lotta energy trying to look dead, you should be able to latch onto his signature quickly. Here's some of his pattern, I love you Ray, please find us.:_

With those words Alex's presence fully faded from Rachel's dream-state. The sun was back, and the pool, and the lounger, and the breeze, but Rachel could no longer lie in bed, she could no longer pretend to be careless so she awoke, and jumped out of her bed. She mentally ran through the ways out of the mansion and chose Alex's balcony. She could fly high and fast, and with Mesmero's signature so fresh in her mind there was simply no time to lose. Rachel floated her uniform to her and began to don her gear. She would leave now, whether Charles approved or not wouldn't even be a factor.

_: Charles I'm going after Alex, I have my communicator, and my tracker, send whomever you're going to send out after me. I can't wait. Marvel Girl out.:_

She flew out of Alex's balcony, training her senses strictly to Mesmero's psionic signature; there was nothing else on her mind. There was no doubt, no hesitation. She came from a different universe, one where Jean and Scott were both dead, where neither Nathan nor Alexander existed, a universe where she was the only daughter of people she never got to meet. The world she grew up in was harsh and unforgiving. Alex, Nate, Jean and Scott meant everything to her; she would not let anything stand in the way of her getting to him.

[Marvel Girl this is Elixir confirming back up, we're hot on your trail. Sunspot's flying out behind you. Should we plan a rendezvous point? Or do you just wanna fly straight through?]

[Read you loud and clear Elixir. Maintaining speed and direction; West and slight South. Rendezvous at the state line, I'll have to touch down anyway. Marvel Girl; over and out.]

[Copy. Over and out.]

Rachel sped forward, pushing against the air, the clouds, the ground and anything else that would speed her on her way. Somewhere in this general direction Alex, and Jubilee were being kept prisoner, being mistreated, and their lives could possibly hang in the balance. Rachel needed to eat up every mile she could in as little time as was possible. A part of her wanted the power of the Phoenix Force back, the thrust of power it would've given her would be exactly what she needed to find and rescue Alex; she wished she could summon it, could find it hiding in a recess of her mind, but it was gone. At least for now.

[Jean Grey to Marvel Girl, can you hear me Ray?]

[Coming through loud and clear mom.]

[Rachel, Cerebra just located a massive psionic power spike near Houma, Louisiana. We dispatched Elixir, Richards, Catiana, Bloke and X-23. After you have rendezvoused with your back-up Blink will transport you as close as we can pinpoint the location of the spike to. You're team-leader Blue, this is officially a mission. Follow your training, but above all; and I mean this fully and completely Rachel, above all you get every last X-Man trainee out of there safe. Jean Grey out.]

[Marvel Girl to Elixir; rush to the rendezvous point. Psionic activity has been detected near Houma, Louisiana. We're officially team Blue; this has been declared a rescue mission. Expect to see Blink at the state line; I should arrive there in less than ten minutes. What's your ETA Elixir?]

[Copy Blue Leader, we will push the car as fast we can. Sunspot is two minutes from your location, and we are five minutes behind him as of right now. We'll be engaging cloaking devices and going off-radar. ETA ten to fifteen. Standby for update, Elixir out.]

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, these people were fully trained, completely efficient and above all X-Men. Alex would be alright, and Magneto...well she didn't quite know exactly what would happen to Magneto, if Jean got there before Rachel, there was no telling what she would do, and if Rachel got there first...well Magneto should hope she didn't.

Jubilee couldn't believe what was going on. Alex and Magneto were LITERALLY playing a game of chess, Magneto had freed one of Alex's hands and the chess board sat between them, as the used their powers to move the pieces. Jubilee was astonished at that, but dumbfounded by the fact that she was fully free. Somehow Alex had gotten under Magneto's skin, and Jubilee had been set free, she had stumbled onto a chair and there she was still, her hands feeling better and better, but she studiously avoided the last rung on the wall.

Piotr was dead, Alex was weakened, and even though Jubilee was free and her hands felt better she knew that against Magneto she didn't stand a chance in hell. She looked up at Alex, and as she caught his gaze she felt the familiar twinge of his telepathic energy touching her mind.

:_ I know you must think I lost my marbles...or that I am just leaving it all up to you, but I'm not. Rachel is on her way, and the only way for me to concentrate enough to create Psionic surges is to be absolutely quiet. I learned from Professor X that Magneto can never refuse a good game of chess, and nothing like a psionic at chess. Something about telepathy...don't worry Jubes, it'll all be alright_:

Jubilee sat back in the chair and rubbed her hands. Rachel may be on her way, but Magneto was still Magneto and the odds were still the same. Jubilee needed her hands to be at full working condition, what little she could do, she would do to the best of her abilities.

"You're quite the player, Alex. I imagine you and Charles must've spent many an hour playing together. I can see a lot of his moves on this board, but like him you have one fatal flaw. You play on the defensive, always protecting the pieces you deem as worthy. Meanwhile I do away with most of your pawns, divert attention from my queen and my rooks, and then...check."

"You know Erik, you're almost right. I do play a lot like the Professor, mainly because he's the one who taught me how to play. He taught me the name of each piece, and how each of them moves, and what the rules are. However, I did learn a couple of things on my own; among them, how to use the pieces to my own advantage, how to not let rules hinder me, how to use the way the pieces move in my favor even as it seems I play the losing hand, but most important of all I learned that playing the defensive got me nowhere, and that playing offensive while keeping my moves seemingly defensive keeps the other player distracted, and then...Checkmate."

Magneto looked at the board and he couldn't believe what he saw. Alex had somehow managed to back his king into a corner, and no matter where Magneto moved his queen, his rook, or his knight, Alex had placed a piece within range to eliminate that piece and a move later, Magneto's king. Somehow Alex had managed to sacrifice all his pawns and maintain all his other pieces intact and somehow still take both of Magneto's bishops, one of his knights and almost every single one of his pawns.

"You are indeed not just Charles's student. Would you care for another hand?"

Magneto could see Alex was buying time, something was going on in that mind of his, but it didn't matter, so long as he kept Alex's attention focused in on a single thing, then he could buy himself the time he needed for Mystique to bring him the serum that would allow him to steal Alex's powers. The damn fool was already a whole day late, he couldn't risk contacting her and having his trail exposed to Charles and his imps, but the fact that she had yet to arrive was beginning to grate against his nerves, of all the things Magneto was known for being patient was most definitely NOT one of them.

Alex knew Magneto was buying time, it didn't take his telepathic abilities to figure it out, the game had gone by slowly, even when the move to be made was obvious for both of them, but it didn't matter, Alex needed time too and playing chess would be a good time killer, and it would allow him to sporadically send psionic surges into the ether, and Rachel would follow them, that much he knew for sure.

The board was set up again and a new game began. Alex immediately sensed that this game was a completely different sort of game, the board may be a chess board, but Magneto wasn't playing for a check-mate, no Magneto was playing for something much, much more dangerous, and Alex wasn't sure whether or not he knew the rules.

Rachel was tired, her body was beginning to wear out, and her mind was no longer as sharp as it had been when she began to fly. She pushed herself forward, desperately wanting to reach the rendezvous point before she overtired herself.

[Marvel Girl, this is Elixir. ETA to rendezvous 4 minutes. Has Sunspot made contact with you?]

[He's flying beside me now Elixir. We should be arriving at the rendezvous in a minute. See you there, Marvel Girl out]

"Sunspot, let's touch down and walk the rest of the way, give the others some time to catch up."

"Got it...there's a road up ahead, we should advice the others to avoid it. We don't want to alert anyone that we're on the move."

"I'll com Elixir and let him know. We'll stay close enough to keep an eye on it but far enough to not be seen."

"Gotcha"

[Elixir, this is Marvel Girl. Sunspot and I are touching down, and we'll be walking to the state border, stay off the main road, try and find an alternate route through the trees. We don't wanna alert ANYONE that we're on the move. Over and Out.]

Rachel walked as fast as she could without using a single iota of her power. Something wasn't right. She had sensed it the second they landed and the feeling simply grew stronger and stronger the closer they got to the state border. Rachel's every muscle and nerve was on full alert, her mind continually casting out for something, although even if she found it, she'd never know what it was.

She took comfort in the knowledge that the team had finally come together. It was a weirdly assembled team, but if Xavier had seen it fit to put them together, she had to trust that it was for good reason.

"Marvel Girl, exactly how are we getting to Houma? I mean isn't that LITERALLY across the U.S. landmass?"

"We're meeting Blink, she has the power to alter spatial energy which creates a sort of wormhole, but it's controlled. She can pinpoint the exit place, it's teleportation but just more complicated."

Rachel looked at Catiana; her voice had a strange lilt to it that seemed almost feline.

"And how exactly do you know all this Catiana? I mean that's pretty specific information you have there."

"I took the liberty of doing a little background research on the entire team. It was completely sanctioned, and all the files came straight from Cerebra's memory files."

"Wait, Cerebra knows EXACTLY how every single mutant's powers work? Why doesn't Xavier allow us to use this information to defeat the Brotherhood? Or H.Y.D.R.A. or any one of those evil groups?"

Rachel looked at X-23; her voice was calm, collected, but irrefutably Logan. As far as clones went, X-23 was as close as science had ever come to perfect.

"It would be unethical X-23."

"Elixir, c'mon! Unethical? Are you shittin' me? The whole purpose of those groups is unethical! We have to start playing their rules or pretty soon we're gonna be wiped out. Look at the situation we're in, the X-Men are spread so thinly that students are being dispatched on missions. Imperium is barely 21 and already he's on full blown missions. Unethical simply isn't an argument against anything anymore. Just you watch, things are just beginning to get ugly, you have no idea."

"She's right you know. I come from a future where sentinels rule and mutants are constantly in hiding, always in danger. The sentinels may not be in control, but the sense of persecution, danger and fear are still there. We are outcasts, even as we go around saving thousands of lives, there are still thousands who hate and fear us simply because they cannot understand us. X-23's views may seem extreme and her logic may seem faulty, but she's right. We keep playing the 'nice' card and soon we will be backed into a corner, and then the ones like she and I are the ones that'll have to step up to the front lines, and Xavier will still be fighting for equality, even as we defend our very lives from every living being, or even sentinels."

A sense of sobriety and quiet introspection fell over the camp. In a way they all knew that Rachel and Laura were right, but the reality that they had to confront because of that realization was a cold and bitter one. Even though they were trained and skilled warriors, the facts remained that they were teenagers, the oldest being Rachel at 21, and that the things they were dealing with were not exactly normal teenage problems.

Rachel was looking into the nothingness of the trees around her. They had been waiting for Blink for over half an hour now, the conversation had ceased and no one, including Rachel, had bothered to ask why someone who could travel halfway across the world in the blink of an eye was late.

"I'm calling the Mansion, Blink was supposed to be here when we arrived, and this is starting to feel a bit odd."

[Elixir to Sanctuary. Sanctuary do you copy?]

[We copy Elixir, have you reached Houma yet?]

[Negative Sanctuary, Blink never arrived at the rendezvous. Blue Team is still at rendezvous point. What should we do?]

[Standby Blue Team, we will advice you on what to do]

[Copy, Blue Team out.]

"Something's not right...who answered at Sanctuary?"

"I think it was Emma Frost, but she's supposed to be in Paris trying to get a Skrull that's been impersonating Captain Britain."

It happened in a flash. X-23 was hurtling forward, Elixir was pinned against a tree, Catiana was rushing up the branches of a nearby oak, Rachel was on the ground and she could taste blood in her mouth. Sunspot was missing, that much Rachel could tell, but she knew he was somewhere close by, she could feel his mind frantically searching for something. She opened her mind to his, she needed to focus him and calm him.

: _Hey, Roberto. What's going on?:_

_: I don't know exactly Rachel; all I know is once Elixir blew past me I just shot up. I don't see anyone this far up, although I think I can see Catiana's hair in a tree:_

_: Yea she scurried up an oak. What is her deal exactly:_

_: Her powers are a sort of DNA absorption; whenever she comes into contact with the blood of an animal she gains that animal's traits. The last thing I saw her come into contact with was a cat:_

_: So if she came into contact with the blood of a rhino, she'd act like a rhino?:_

_: Not quite...more like she'd have the abilities of the rhino. Like its strength, maybe it's tough hide, things of that nature:_

_: Perfect. You should try and find a zoo close by, I'll reach you telepathically if I need you.:_

Rachel let go of her link with Robert and began to search for Tatiana's mind. If her assumption was correct, she needed to have Tatiana's full cooperation.

_: Catiana, can you hear me? It's Marvel Girl:_

_: Rachel! Who are those people? I can barely see them, they're moving awful fast!:_

_: I don't know yet, but I can tell you this, they have a psionic working with them. I can't sense anything from them. I have a plan...sort of. If you come into contact with the blood of an animal you gain that animal's traits correct?:_

_: In a simplified manner, yes that's right.:_

_: Suppose you got some eagle blood on you, would you be able to fly then?:_

_: I think so. So far my training has only covered land-based animals. I don't think I would know how to fly even if I was able to. I have to train with an animal's blood before I can fully access those traits. That's why my uniform has a belt; it holds blood vials of the animals I am most proficient in. I can be a panther, or a bull, or a serpent, or an otter.:_

_: What blood did you last come in contact with?:_

_: My cat's...by accident. I still felt feline so I just assumed I was still a panther, but if I was a panther I wouldn't be stuck in a tree!:_

Rachel mentally chuckled at the situation. Catiana could choose to be any animal she wanted, but now she was stuck in a tree and the blood necessary to help her out of the tree was lying 20 feet from Rachel.

_: I'll try and get you your belt, but I don't know that I'll be able to.:_

Rachel focused on Catiana's belt. She had to shoot it up with a thought before it could be seen. She could still hear whoever had ambushed them move here and there, and there was the unmistakable weight of something on her, and her peripheral vision showed her that something was holding Elixir to the tree. X-23 was out of Rachel's sight, but Rachel knew that whatever was holding her was having a hard time keeping her in place.

The only person she had not thought of tracking was Mickey. Bloke's unique power was being able to completely blend into his surroundings, not just by pigmentation of skin, but by bending light and space around himself to be completely imperceptible, even to psionics.

_: Mickey, if you can hear me, and if you're not pinned to a tree or the ground or whatever, please help Laura get loose, or Josh, or get help!:_

_:I'm loose Rache, hell I'm right in front of you, but if I move the guy with the super hearing will get me, Laura's free anyway, I think she went up into the trees:_

_: Damn the luck! Can you think of the guy with the super hearing? I'll try and distort his mind for a sec n u can get whatever is on top of me off:_

_: That's just it Rache, there's nothing...on anyone...it's like these guys are moving at the speed of light...very creepy:_

Rachel had suspected as much, there may be weight on her but there was no single contact point between her captor and her skin, and if what Bloke said was correct then she was being held by something other than a person, and if it wasn't organic, then she had a chance of sending it into the ether if she was able to concentrate and heave it off with her mind.

Alexander was growing tired, physically and mentally. Erik could see that much in the young man's eyes. Perhaps he could give him a reprieve of being strung up, after all his right hand had been freed for over two hours and he had yet to make any sort of escape attempt. He needed the boy alive if he was to use the serum anyway. With a thought he ripped the other cuff from the boy's wrist.

The sight of his pale, sickly skin utterly mottled with bruises actually made Erik feel a little guilty, he knew that Alexander wasn't feeling well, he'd seen to it himself. Setting up enough disasters that Xavier and his precious X-Men would be spread thin to the point of making the younger team members (such as Alexander) a bit sick from the constant strain and stress. It was a grandiose plan, and one that required a lot of time and resources, and as all things complicated and with a long span, the people under his command still questioned whether or not hunting Alexander (more accurately his powers) was a good idea. The phoenix force seemed quite fond of the Grey/Summers bloodline, every one of their whelps had at one point or another in one way or another, come into contact with the cosmic force. If Erik's plan worked exactly as he wanted it to, then the Phoenix Force would soon be under Erik's control and that was worth whatever amount of time and resources his current plan called for. After all; everything in life came at a cost.

"Are you sure?"

Alexander's tone was tentative, testing the water before he dove in head first. He knew better than to just take the candy bar from the stranger just because he looked like a grandfather. Trust had always been an issue in Alex's life. Trust between himself and his father, trust between mother and son, between newly found siblings, and grandparents. Erik Lehnsherr wasn't someone Alex could trust, not by any amount. He knew better than to just accept the fact that he was freed from his bonds. It might be nothing more than a temporary respite, perhaps long enough to get enough blood back to his damaged hand and enough time to dull the throbbing in his shoulder…all that it really meant was that when he strung up against the wall once more Alex would feel the pain more intensely than he did now. His body had recognized that it was in pain, but his mind had already dulled his senses into submission, understanding that there was nothing to be done about it, but now Alex was being given a respite, and the pain would start anew, joined by the complaints of his already strained muscles. This was a double edged sword, but Alex was thankful for the relief it gave him, even if it was only momentary.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful Mr. Lehnsherr—"

"Magneto will do."

"—ok, Magneto, but why are you unshackling me?"

"Well dear boy, it's a simple matter really. Jubilee is exhausted, the Colossus is either dead or in shock, and you my boy are half-starved and utterly exhausted. Forgive me if I insult you by saying that as the circumstances stand right now, you are absolutely no match for me."

Alex could not disagree with the man, after all even the small bursts of kinetic energy that he was sending out into the ether for Cerebra to find were becoming something less and less powerful as the time passed. If someone didn't come to get them soon, Jubilee, Alex, and Pete would be forever lost.

_: Rachel, please Hurry.:_

Rachel Summers couldn't believe what was happening. Somehow, someone had found out where they were and what they were doing and now Sentinels from some alternate dimension were HERE that's what had rammed into them.

The team was fully rounded up now, all of them in a heap on the forest floor, and three Sentinels that looked as alien as they possibly could. No matter what she knew, or thought she knew, Rachel knew one thing above all else: Survival is Key.

She would have to fight with every ounce of her being to get these Sentinels on the floor and disabled; then she had to gather her team and whatever means of transportation she could and split out of here before anyone could even sneeze. This wasn't good, not good at all. The fact that a secret mission that had barely been put together and had been hard to keep up with even for the people in it, meant that the Institute was compromised, or even worse: one of the X-Men was compromised.

The thought of being betrayed was more than Rachel could handle at the moment. The situation was dicey at best and the fact that her once fully operational, completely professional team had been reduced to nervous, agitated, and afraid teenagers didn't help the matter any in Rachel's eyes. This was a barrel of gunpowder waiting to explode, every whir and snap from the Sentinels had the entire team on edge, which in turn made these Sentinels almost seem as if they were tensing for an attack. It was a vicious circle where all the players were captive audience, and where eventually either man or machine would suddenly lose the tenuous control they had and then the worse possible scenario would occur. Machine and living things were simply not meant to fight, not in this dimension or in any other.

_: Everyone, Stay Calm! These Sentinels seem more...human...yea I guess we could say human, than the others...if they think we pose a threat they will kill us. Just stay calm, and let's think of a way to get out of this mess.:_

Rachel knew it was in vain that she sounded so controlled and in charge, after all she knew how to deal with situations where her life was hanging by a very thin thread, but the rest of the team...well they were used to the Danger Room, and sparring with tame Sentinels. Perhaps one or two of them had been there when the Institute had been attacked last year, but she couldn't count on that one occasion to be of any help, nothing compared to the utter helplessness that 6 Sentinels (each 9 ½ feet tall) seemed to wrap you up in.

_: Rachel...I say we launch a full scale attack, we go ape-shit on them and run for our lives.:_

_: Normally I would agree Josh, but these aren't Trask's Sentinels...wherever they came from, whenever they were made, the mechanical advancements are far superior to what is available now, they seem to be able to replicate some small measure of our mutant powers...I don't wanna go up against something that could squash me with my own telekinetic powers, it just doesn't seem that kosher to me.:_

_: I agree with Josh, Rachel. One good rush at them, we catch them by surprise, tear them to pieces and hit the road.:_

_: Laura, think about it. What do we know about these things?:_

_: Rachel is right guys, there's something not quite right about these things, almost...it's almost like they can hear us even now...look at their eyes, they keep zooming in and out, and we're not even looking at each other.:_

_: Mike, don't be such a fool, they're not looking at us:_

Then it happened. All six of the sentinels that surrounded them simply went limp. Their bodies hitting the forest floor sent six small but powerful quakes rippling through the team.

"HAAAALLLLOOOOOOOOOO...is there anyone alive in this clearing?"

"Blink! Over here!"

Rachel was relieved to see Blink happily bounding towards them. She knew that to trust Blink was a mistake she couldn't make now, but she also knew that the time to get Alex was now.

"I have orders to send you to Houma. The portal will deliver you to exactly 1 mile from the specified coordinates, and I understand that Jean and Scott will be there for back up and that Storm and Black Panther are already in Houma, about 5 miles from the epicenter of the Psionic Spikes."

Blink waved her hand at the empty air, her hair lifted in some current of wind that was only for her and her eyes glowed a deep fuchsia. Then with a loud pop the space where her hand was pointing began to swirl in a greenish tone, and then they could see an empty field clearly in another place.

"Blue Team. Here's your exit, good luck guys. I have to go get some other people so please let's hurry. I'm already super late, and that's like saying the sun forgot to rise."

Rachel ran at the field and she felt her molecules being sifted through some sort of colander, and then the air was different; Rachel Summers had reached Houma.

Alex felt her, her signature was unmistakable. She had something about her that always triggered his every sense. It seemed like there was this strange connection. It didn't really matter how, all he knew was that she would be here soon. She was coming his way, and she was headed there fast. His heartbeat came faster and there was a sensation that rose inside him, like a swarm of butterflies.

'Rachel where are you? Please hurry!' Alex thought as the sensation grew deeper and stronger inside of him. She was close, very close, and closing in on his location rapidly. It spelled a predictable ending to what had been an unpredictable situation.

Mystique was close. Mystique was running. Mystique abhorred Alex. Alex was in more trouble than he wanted to be in. The feeling got stronger and stronger, and Alex knew that this was exactly what magneto had been buying time for, Mystique's Arrival.

Rachel looked at her team, and she knew that somehow they'd be alright. She gave the first signal and the team burst into the cottage. Rachel took the front door down with a thought. She felt Alex's surprise register, then felt his swell of power as he pushed Jubilee and Colossus out the door and into the field.

"ALEX!"

"RAY! Get the team out of here, Magneto is knocked out but Mystique is on her way, go, go, go!"

Rachel saw Magneto's body on the floor by the back door. She wondered for a micro-second how that could've possibly happened and then Bloke materialized with a very heavy looking log in his grasp. She counted their blessings and gave the order to move out. Alex was right, they had to get the hell outta there before Mystique showed up and confused everyone.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. What would dear Jean say if she knew her children were so rude? I mean, here you are in MY cottage, completely destroyed all my windows and doors, there's two bodies on my floor, and you're rushing out like you don't even know me."

"Alex, get the team out. I'll handle Ms. Darkholme by myself. GO!"

"No, Ray. If you're facing this bitch I'm standing by you."

Alex stood next to Rachel, and readied himself. His body and mind were battered, but as Professor X was so fond of saying; the Summers-Gray line had given birth to children without ceilings. They could stretch their power beyond the norm, and in Rachel's case, they might not have a Mutant Classification. He was willing to help as much as he could, no matter what the cost was ultimately to himself. He would make sure Rachel had a window of opportunity to get out, even if he couldn't. Unbeknownst to him, Rachel was thinking exactly the same thing.

_: I can't let you stay Alex, you're badly hurt:_

_: That doesn't really matter. I'm not going to leave you here with this basket-case:_

_: As team leader I'm telling you to get out of here Imperium:_

_: As your brother, Rachel, you know there's no way I'm leaving. As an X-Man who's not part of your team, I technically don't have to do what you tell me to in this mission:_

_: Fine, but make it look like you're leaving and so Elixir can at least patch you up. Bloke and Elixir know the plan:_

Alex looked back at the team and immediately saw who Elixir was and who was Bloke. Whatever Rachel had in mind it may well be worth a try, after all if he got beat up while being this badly hurt he may just shock his system into a cocoon state.

He took Rachel's hand in his and looked at Mystique.

"If you hurt her, in any way, I will make sure you never shape shift again. I will obliterate you from this Universe and chase you in all the alternates I can. That's a Blood Promise."

Alex walked away from them, his mind however stayed put. Whatever advantage he could give Rachel, he would.

Rachel stared at Mystique; her hatred for the woman was deep and rampant. She had many a run-ins with this Mystique but her hatred stemmed from the Mystique that Rachel had known in her own timeline; a woman with no scruples, no morals, and no mercy, if Rachel could take out this woman, in any timeline, she would gladly do it, and relish the feeling of it for many years to come without ever thinking of the consequences or the implied guilt.

"HA! You actually think you're a match for me Ms. Summers? Overconfidence seems to be a commonplace genetic characteristic in your pathetic family. I wonder if that's why this whole Phoenix Force fiasco has happened as many times for you people as it has."

"Cut the crap Mystique. I'm not here to monologue with you."

Rachel gathered some kinetic energy and hurled it at Mystique's feet and as it collided with the ground, the blast sent Mystique 20 feet in the air. Rachel rose to the air and shot towards Mystique, wanting to strike as many times as she could while the surprise of the blast kept her stunned. She lashed out with a kick backed with kinetic energy, but her foot struck nothing. Mystique was nowhere to be seen.

The cry of a hawk drew Rachel's attention to the space above her. She saw the hawk ready its talons and plunge towards her, and almost instantly the hawk was gone and Mystique was hurtling straight towards Rachel. She felt the sting of the boot collide with her temple, felt the nausea rise, and the temporary disorientation that always accompanies a blow to the head. In that instant Rachel was immobile and defenseless. She could feel her body plunging to the ground, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear the screams of voice, the laughter of a woman. Something inside her told her to fight; to rally her mind and body and snap out of it, but for some reason she simply could not move. She was completely paralyzed, mind and body.

Mystique landed softly on the ground, the smirk on her face made Alex shiver. Elixir was still healing him; he could feel the muscles moving under his skin, he could feel the tissues knitting back together, and his energy began to flood back into him. He wanted to make Elixir hurry, Mystique was heading to Rachel's body and Alex knew that if that she got there unopposed Rachel would be in a whole lotta trouble.

_: Joshua, get off me for a sec, I'm blasting Mystique:_

_: No need for me to lose contact with you, blast her and I'll boost you. We should be able to make a very big blast:_

Alex focused his mind on Mystique, he wanted to blast her into smithereens, he wanted to erase from this world, even if just momentarily, he needed to see her obliterated, it was a simple and pure hatred that stemmed from a thousand attacks, a thousand wounds and 3 lost teammates. Just as he felt the pressure of his kinetic blast reach a third of what he actually wanted to throw, Jubilee stepped in front of Mystique.

Jubilee stared into Raven Darkholme's strange yellow eyes (not that it was the strangest thing about her, but definitely the coldest). Something had snapped inside Jubilee when she saw Marvel Girl being knocked out of the sky. It wasn't fair, or normal, or how things went in Jubilee's world. Rachel should not be on the floor; Alex should not be off to the side being held down by Joshua. Most definitely in Jubilee's world there was no reason why she should be standing between Mystique and Rachel, but here she was, and now there was nothing that could stop her except death. She would fight Mystique; she would do her best to make a stand against this merciless thing.

"HAHAHAHA! You're kidding right? You have all these people here and suddenly the one that's coming to get me is YOU!"

Jubilee felt something inside her tug; a part of her that had been dormant simply snapped and woke. There was a new life inside her, a new fire, a vivacity and fervor that had not been there, and that should have been extinguished by her day in captivity. But still there it was a surge of energy that she had never felt before, but something that didn't feel alien or strange. This was an energy that was hers and something changed right then and there.

Jubilation Lee knew instantly that she had a new power within her power. She looked at Mystique and she knew that if she could just manage to stun her long enough, maybe Alex or Rachel could take over and then she could step aside and things would be better.

She felt her power rise inside her and she focused it on her hands. Instantly she felt the difference in the energy current that pulled her consciousness. It was a sharper current, cleaner, and far more powerful than it usually was. Jubilee raised her hands and she heard someone roar, a scream full of power and anger and a sense of relief and achievement. She was startled to realize it was hers.

The scene in front of her was almost unbelievable; Mystique had been thrown clear across the ruble that once had been the cottage, and landed head first against a tree. Jubilee's hand glowed with energy, her trademark "fireworks" swirling around her hands. Something stirred and Jubilee knew that she stood a small chance against Mystique, small but nonetheless important.

Mystique got up and trained her cold eyes on Jubilee, her entire body was aching. The amount of energy the little brat had hit her with was amazing. The sheer force with which she'd been hit had left her dazed, but Mystique was accustomed to being hit, it would take a whole lot more than what the twerp could put out to keep Mystique down.

Jubilee was full of endorphins and adrenaline (a fatal mix in a fight), she wanted to clobber Mystique into submission...or at least lay her flat long enough for a plan of exit to be made. She simply needed to buy time.

"Impressive. But don't think that'll be enough to do anything. I've gone toe to toe with much more impressive mutants, and some of them are six feet under."

Jubilee knew she wasn't lying, but she didn't care, she didn't want to kill Mystique, she simply wanted to knock her out long enough to get away from here. She raised her right hand and pointed it at Mystique's chest; she gathered energy into her hand, willing it to become a strong blast.

Mystique watched her raise her hand, and as the sparks that surrounded it grew wilder and more colorful she launched her attack, rushing Jubilee while shifting into a wolf. Four legs are better to dodge attacks quickly, and the teeth of a wolf could tear through that little twerp with absolute ease.

Jubilee saw the shift and knew she was in trouble, hitting a moving target wasn't easy, especially when all her practice had been focused on output and never on accuracy (her powers having been used mostly as a cover or a distraction, never as an offensive attack). Like an old pro her mind knew what she had to do.

The wolf bore down the distance between Jubilee and her prey, she was going to tear that little runt into a million pieces, and nothing would stop her. She ran with power and purpose, so it was no surprise when she saw sparks in front of her eyes. She knew the constant strain of shifting and running wasn't good for her, but as always she did what Erik asked of her, how could she not. She ran harder and tried to put the swirling colors out of her head, and then with a strange jolt she felt herself turn back to her original form, and the lights swirled and came closer and closer. She felt a humongous amount of energy crash into her, and saw the darkness coming.

Jubilee released the pent up energy directly over Mystique's chest, a shock to the heart. Mystique would be out for at least twenty minutes, long enough for the team to retreat, to find a safe haven and await some type of rescue from the Institute.

She shot a glance at Alex, and smiled. She had come out with Alex to learn how to use her powers offensively, and here she was, taking down Mystique, creating nets of explosive energy and all this after five days of captivity, hunger and thirst. Maybe she had a chance at being X-Man after all.

Rachel could hear the far away voices of people she knew and loved. She could hear someone trying to call her back to the light, back to consciousness.

"Ray, c'mon sis! Ray!"

"I'm ok Lex. Oww my head is splitting...got an aspirin or something?"

"I have some Elixir which is way faster and better"

She felt the sudden warmth spread through her body, and her aches were gone. She opened her eyes and saw Alex leaning over her. The sickly tone was gone from under his skin, and his hair seemed more alive now than before. Elixir had not only healed him from his ordeal, but also from the stress that he'd been put under. Rachel knew that if she hadn't grown up in the timeline she did the stress of the day to day X-Men activities would grind her into dust too, but she was used to having to run for her life, to fight and fight for survival, to live in trees and hollowed sentinels and the like. Rachel knew how to compartmentalize and deal things quickly but separately Alex just threw himself onto life and hoped he would fly before long.

"You look well."

"Well Josh's powers are amazing, hell he even took care of scars I've had since I was little, and once you see yourself you'll know just what I mean."

Then Alex was flying right over Rachel, and the distinct presence of their mother could be felt all around. A scream of agony rang over the clearing, and something deep inside of Rachel broke into a million pieces. Her eyes watered and her mind spun as she felt the life ebb away from Jean Grey. She felt hollow and lost.

The scene she saw once her eyes listened to her brain again was a ghastly and heartbreaking scene.

A metal syringe had fallen feet from where Alex stood moments before. Across the clearing Magneto's shape was getting smaller and smaller, and in the middle of the clearing, slack jawed and lifeless lay Jean Grey's body, a pool of blood still forming around her.

It took Rachel a second to realize that from Jean's abdomen and chest two 10 inch pipes were protruding, clearly the causes of her death. Rachel ran towards her mother, her feet hitting the ground with a vengeance, as a shadow passed her, she knew that Alex was flying right over her. His energy filled her, but his mind was eerily quiet. As he landed she arrived, they knelt by their mother, faces covered in tears and pain. The world seemed muffled and blurred, nothing was clear, and there was only pain.

Alex's roars of fury and pain floated and tore through the clearing; they demanded explanations, second-chances and vengeance. She knew what he felt; she knew the despair, the hatred, the pain, the loss and the need for blood. She shed her tears quietly but with all the feeling she had, her face contorted into a mask of pain and loss so deep that it would have sent Medusa herself flying for cover. She let her feelings flare and all around for 40 feet grass, rocks, pebbles, insect, dirt and a few of her teammates rose into the air and hung there, like an umbrella for the sad party that stood in the middle.

She heard the distinct sound of Blink's powers and realized that she had subconsciously used her powers. She set everything down carefully and she looked where the swirling energy gathered, and out stepped Scott Summers, her father.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH HER!"

Alex roared as he lifted into the air, his power flaring around him, the aura of the phoenix taking a translucent shape behind him.

'YOU SWORE TO PROTECT HER, AND WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU MOST YOU WEREN'T THERE!"

Something was crackling around Alex, an energy that had not been there before. Hr lifted his hand, palm pointed towards Scott, and let the energy loose. It was a ruby red ray. It shot out of Alex's hand with surprising strength, and the shock of the new ability broke Alex's blind Emotion moment and he dropped to the ground.

"Dad! Dad! Are you okay?"

Alex ran to Scott who was on the ground centimeters away from where the blast of energy had just hit. Scott was incredulous, he couldn't believe his son had shot at him, but even more shocking was the fact that Jean was dead. He knew it instantly, her body lacked the glow he always saw around her, like an energy that always kept itself ready for her use. His wife was dead, his son hated him, his daughter was aloof, and Nathan...well Nathan might technically be his son, but it didn't change the fact that the Nathan he knew was 20 years his senior.

The family he always wanted was disintegrating in front of him. He had failed as a father, as a husband, as a brother and as a son. Scott Summers gave up then. His will to fight was gone, right along with jean, his whole self had always been so entwined with hers that now he wasn't sure exactly what to do, or how to do it.

"Dad...are you alright?"

"Alex...she's dead...she..."

"I know dad, c'mon we have to get back to the Institute, we have to bury her...we have to..."

Alex's voice broke and he began to cry again, quietly this time. The mother he so loved and admired was dead, he'd shot at his father with intent to kill and his sister was torn into pieces. Life was spinning out of control so fast, he wanted it to just stop, he wanted a moment's requiem, a chance to catch his breath. He wanted Storm, he wanted his dad to snap out of it, and he wanted to kill Magneto.

He turned to where Rachel sat by their mother and he saw the Phoenix Energy taking shape around her, ephemeral but present. The mantle had been passed, Marvel Girl would now be Phoenix, and Jean Grey was now beloved mother, wife, student, and friend. It was time to get out of here, they needed to go home, to set Jean down to rest, and to sort out the mess that this whole situation would create.

Blink opened a portal and began ushering the others through; Alex lifted Scott's body and levitated him towards the portal. He knew Rachel had felt the twinge of his power caress her mind. They didn't need words between them; they could understand each other perfectly without ever even uttering a word.

Rachel looked at the broken and empty body of her mother. This wasn't the first time she'd lost Jean, but this time around she had gotten to know her so well, she'd shared holidays and birthdays and girl days with this woman, and now she'd been taken away. She knew that Alex was the Phoenix now, the Energy had manifested itself around him and she knew that the challenges ahead would separate them, but she also knew that she would never let anything happen to him or to Scott. She made the resolution to never be far from either of them again. She lifted Jean's body off the floor, and carefully removed the pipes from her chest and abdomen. As she carried Jean towards the portal, she momentarily remembered the steel syringe and sent a quick thought to grab it off the floor, if Magneto had killed for it, it must be important.

She made the trip through the portal, and knew that at the other end of this wormhole, change was waiting with open arms. The death of Jean Grey would turn the mutant world on its head, and Alex would bear a weight that only the Phoenix could. She would stand by him, unflinching.

Author's Notes: Please R&R. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Again sorry for the horrendously long waiting time between chptrs. Hope u like this one, and please don't kill me for the end of it, I promise its for a good reason =) Enjoy.


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